The Ancestors Mummy in Papua

Mummy is a kind of preservation of the corpse in a natural or artificial way so that the form of the corpse is maintained. As putting a corpse in a very dry or very cold place, or lack of oxygen, or it could use by chemicals. The most popular mummies are the mummies in Egypt but not the only Egyptian state has a mummy, in Indonesia precisely in Papua also has a pretty phenomenal mummy that is the mummy of Dani tribe ancestors. Dani tribe in Papua has their own method in the funeral of the corpse, among them by preserving it as a form of homage to the ancestors. Not all corpses are allowed to be mummy, only those who have been heroes whose corpses can be mummies. Wimontok mummy in Wamena, Papua is the body of a great chief. In his life he was a warlike chief and strategist. This mummy is 384 years old, another case with the 250-year-old Mummy Werupak Elosak, he is the body of a warlord who died from a spear puncture.

In Papua there are mummies in several places and there are more in Wamena. The mummies were first found in several villages in Papua where three mummies were found in Kurulu sub-district, north of Wamena City, three mummies in Asologaima sub-district, west of Wamena City and one mummy in Kurima sub-district. Mummy in Papua has black color with sitting position and staring into the sky. The mouth was visible gaping with both hands holding each of knees. There are koteka and hats that look very dry. The mummy is seen shrinking and darkening due to the process of curing through fumigation with smeared with pork oil. Another interesting fact, this mummy is more than just a preserved corpse and can be seen only. From this mummy, people in the village can live prosperous. Therefore, this mummy becomes an attraction for tourists, which means it can be a source of income for people the village.